Multi-sized wrench



Aug. 30, 1 J. B. MONTGOMERY 2,716,367

MULTI-SIZED WRENCH Filed Oct. 8, 1953 INVENTOR. LJUETEFH B. MUNTE UMEF YFig 5,

ATTORNEY United States Patent Otficc Z ,7 1 6 ,3 6 7 .Raitented Aug.39., 1 55 2,716,367 MUL'II-SIZED iYRE QH Joseph Montgomery,Douglassville, Pa. Application October 8, 1953, Serial No.- 3.3 .5 4!

4 Claims. .(Cl. 31121) This invention relates to a wrench and, moreparticularly, to a multi-sized wrench which can 'be used on varioussized bolts and nuts without the necessity of mechanical adjustment.

An outstanding disadvantage of conventional wrenches of thenon-adjustable type is that .a single wrench is ;suitable only .for twodifferent sizes of bolts or nuts, requiring the workman to car'ry alarge number of wrenches to cover various sizes of bolts and nutsencountered in the usual job. Although wrenches of non-adjustable typehave been made for accommodating more than two sizes of bolts or nuts,these, in general, have been unsatisfactory from the standpoint ofproviding insufficient leverage or because no provision is included tokeep the wrench from passing over a bolt head or nut spaced away fromthe attached object, or because of their complicated and expensiveconstruction.

An object of my invention is to provide a novel multisized wrench whichis devoid of the above named disadvantages of conventional wrenches andwhich is suitable for numerous sizes of bolts and nuts.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide a singlemulti-sized wrench which is capable of use on bolts or nuts of seven ormore or less different sizes, and which includes stop plate means tokeep the wrench from passing over a bolt head or nut which is spacedfrom the object to which it is attached.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a study of thefollowing description taken with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of a multi-sized wrench embodying theprinciples of my invention, certain parts being broken away and shown insection.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a modification of theinvention including pivotal plate stops and,

Figure 3 is a side view in reduced scale of a still further modificationof the wrenches shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Referring more particularly to Figure 1, numeral 1 denotes the centralportion of an integral wrench having heads 2 and 3 at the opposite ends,head 2 having notched-out, open areas defined by substantially paralleledges 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d of stepped formation, progressively increasingin width for accommodating four different sizes of bolts or nuts, andhead 3 having edges 3a, 3b, 30, for accommodating three additional sizedbolts and nuts, making a total of seven different sizes for which thewrench may be used. Integrally secured on top of each head of the wrenchas shown (or separately attached if so desired) are a pair of platestops 2e and 3d, respectively, each including a substantiallyegg-shaped, cut-out portion tapering in substantially the same manner asthe respective staggered notched areas but projecting inwardly therefromand over the top thereof. The openings in plate stops 2e and 3d aresufiiciently large as to provide clearance for the shanks of bolts ofthe various sizes. In operation, when the wrench is applied to a bolt,the largest opening, that is,

the one of greatest width at either side of the head, :is placed overthe bolt head and thereafter the wrench is moved so that the bolt headwill :pass through :successively smaller gaps until the proper size ofgap. is reached. For instance, if gap 2a is the proper size form givenbolt, the wrench head is .applied so @that the :bolt .will first projectthrough a larger gap, such as between edges 2d and then movedprogressively tuntil gap '2a1is reached, :By v rtu of Plate stop 2 thewrench w ll :not pass .over .-the bolt 1116311 .or nut when such bqlthead or nut is spaced away from the o je t 1L whichi a tached. in short,:the plate st op 2d ;is in the form qfza ledge overhanging side portionsof the various gaps for diffe ent size bolt and nut Th he A or xamnlc,

" may h v sfour not he -ou a e s fo ac om od tin bel s zes of 716", andOt e w enche having th [ran e f siz may als e used t term-a et- :E gure2 sh ws .a mod fication of the wrench aliputn in figure 41 wh rein teplat st ps 4 an :5, inste d-9 being fixed or integral, are pivotallymovable abouttpjyms, at: and 5a re pectivel metas a es-4am a e p videdwith apertures or thumb nail grooves 4b and 5b to enable graspingthereof with the fingers and are provided with stop projections 4c and5c adapted to be seated in correspondingly shaped depressions on the topsurface of the wrench to prevent loose pivotal movement of stops 4 and5.

In the use of the wrench shown in Figure 2, after the head has beenplaced over the bolt and moved so the bolt fits into the proper notchwhich closely fits it, plate stops 4 and 5 may be pivotally movedinwardly to provide an overhanging ledge so as to act as stop members toprevent passing over a bolt head or nut which is spaced away from theobject to which it is attached.

Figure 3 shows the further modification of either Figure l or Figure 2wherein instead of having parts 1, 2 and 3 in the same plane, part 1 isat an angle to both of the parallel heads 2 and 3 so that the wrench canbe more easily used in places requiring knuckle clearance, such as onthe head of an automobile engine. While 1 have shown head 2 asaccommodating four different sizes of bolts and nuts and head 3 asaccommodating three different additional sizes, it will be apparent thatany number of sizes ranging from a single headed wrench with-one size toa double headed wrench with from two to perhaps eight sizes may be usedinstead and still embody the principles of the present invention.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an eflicient multi-sizedwrench which is useful on various sized bolts and nuts without therequirement of a mechanical adjustment and which facilitates use inclose working areas; also I have provided plate stops on such wrench toprevent passing of a bolt head or nut when such bolt head or nut isspaced away from the object to which it is attached; furthermore, I haveprovided a unitary multisized wrench which is simple and inexpensive inconstruction and which is very useful for a large number of differentsizes of bolts and nuts, perhaps up to seven or eight different sizes.

While I have illustrated and described several embodiments of myinvention, it will be understood that these are by way of illustrationonly, and that various changes and modifications may be made within thecontemplation of my invention and within the scope of the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. A multi-sized wrench having a head including a notched opening havingopposite, stepped, parallel, confronting edges defining progressivelygreater gaps for accommodating difierent sizes of bolts and having platestop means overhanging and projecting inwardly from all of said edges toprevent the wrench from passing over a bolt head or nut which is spacedaway from an object to which it is attached.

2. A rnulti-sized wrench having a head at one end thereof including anotched-out, stepped area of progressiely varying width, and plate stopmeans pivotally mounted on said head and adapted when pivotally movedover said area to provide an overhanging ledge of correspondinglyvarying width to guide the wrench on a bolt head or nut to the propernotched-out area and to prevent passing over a bolt head or nut spacedfrom an object to which it is fastened.

3. A multi-sized wrench comprising a central handle portion and a headportion integrally secured to one end thereof, said head portionincluding a flaring notchedout area of stepped formation providing aplurality of confronting parallel edge portions defining progressivelygreater gaps for accommodating different sizes of bolts or nuts, and anintegrally secured top plate stop having a cut-out area of progressivelyvarying width and adapted to project inwardly of the edge portions ofsaid notched-out area so as to serve as a stop to prevent a bolt head ornut from extending upwardly through said head.

4. A multi-sized wrench comprising a handle portion and a head portionintegrally secured at one end thereof, said head portion having anopening in the form of a plurality of confronting parallel edge portionsof progressively varying width and converging in stepped formation foraccommodating different sizes of bolt heads or nuts, and an integrallysecured top plate stop portion projecting inwardly of said edge portionsand having an inner marginal edge of substantially egg shape withsubstantially straight portions projecting inwardly of the steppedportions to guide the wrench on a bolt head or nut to the propernotched-out area and to prevent passing over a bolt head or nut spacedfrom an object to which it is fastened.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS135,084 Cooper Jan. 21, 1873 1,097,043 Nolder May 19, 1914 1,352,461Lenholt Sept. 14, 1920 1,936,352 Dixon Nov. 21, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS3,886 Great Britain Aug. 15, 1882 99,812 Switzerland June 16, 1923911,389 France Mar. 11, 1946

